JAC Motors announces X8, an SUV that has nothing BMW in it

The JAC Jiayue X8 will celebrate its official premiere at the Chengdu Motor Show on July 24, 2020 and reach the market in five-, six- and seven-seater versions.

Industry observers had expected the X8 to be based on the JAC S7 a.k.a. Jiayue X7, but the two cars have quite a few differences. The X8 is 4,795 mm long, 1,870 mm wide and 1,758 mm tall with 2,810 mm separating the axles.

The only available engine is a 1.5-liter turbo that hooks onto six-speed manual and semi-auto transmissions, hitting the wheels with 184 hp (136 kW). The fuel economy reportedly amounts to 8.1 liters per 100 km (UK: 35 MPG; USA: 29 MPG).

There is no digital dashboard on offer, and the infotainment screen measures 12.3 inches corner-to-corner. The gear selector is a shift-by-wire joystick, and there is an engine start button above it. Panoramic roof is available at a premium.

The rear seats fold 50:50, and the middle row boasts extra-comfortable “captain’s” seats with their own air blowers.